Students Tee Off During Fundraiser, Begin Sports Medicine Fellowship, Attend Ultrasound Workshop and More

More Than Three Decades of Training and Counting, UNTHSC-TCOM Hosts Chief Residency Skills Conference

Photo: Dr. Sharon Manson, Dr. Tina Bernard and Dr. Elizabeth Burleson.

Chief residents from across the nation attended the University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC-TCOM) Faculty Development Center’s Chief Resident Leadership Skills Conference. Thirty-eight chief residents and three coordinators traveled to UNTHSC-TCOM from Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas to engage on a variety of topics to improve their residency programs.

The longstanding conference has been hosted by TCOM’s Faculty Development Center for more than 30 years. Read more and hear from the conference presenters.

PCOM South Georgia Students Awarded for Academic and Civic Excellence

Photo: Students receiving honors include (from left) Griffin Clyatt, DO ’23; Pavan Patel, DO ’23; Jasmine Rogers, DO ’23; Ravi Soni, DO ’23; William Brewster, DO ’23; Max Kabolowsky, DO ’23; Chizoba Akunwanne, DO ’23; Sarah Kate Boyette, MS ’23; Anna Beth Boyette, DO ’23; Shelby McGee, DO ’23; Setu Patel, DO ’23; Kathleen Bryan, DO ’23; and James “Trent” Griner, DO ’23.

Community leaders and college representatives gathered May 24, 2023, for an awards reception at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Campus (PCOM South Georgia) to honor graduating students, including those in the campus’ first doctor of osteopathic medicine class, with 13 students receiving awards that recognize outstanding achievements.

Calling it a “milestone” event, Robert J. Lloyd, DO ’91, interim dean of PCOM South Georgia, welcomed graduates and guests—including city and county leaders, state representatives, college presidents, local physicians, board of education members, hospital administrators, community business leaders and multiple donors—“all of whom made this campus possible.” Learn more about the awards and their recipients.

ATSU-KCOM Introduction to OMM Course Draws International Participation

The National Center for Osteopathic Principles and Practice Education (NCOPPE) at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences - Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) hosted an annual Introduction to Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) for MDs and DOs from May 22-25, 2023. Along with physicians from across the country, the course was attended by eight osteopath students and their attending physician from the Institut Supérieur Ostépathie of Béziers, France. In addition to the training provided during the Introduction to OMM course, the students benefited from additional dedicated training in Advancing Skills in Osteopathy with Dr. Brian Degenhardt, director of the Still Research Institute.

Introduction to OMM for MDs and DOs is a four-day (32-hour) of hands-on experience in OMM and osteopathic principles and practice (OPP), taught by expert OMM faculty from ATSU-KCOM and NCOPPE members. The course is designed for MD students/residents entering Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education osteopathically recognized programs and MD attendings who precept and supervise residents in Osteopathic Recognition programs. The course also serves as a refresher for DO students, residents and teaching faculty who want to sharpen their skills and knowledge while learning about OPP, soft tissue, counterstrain and muscle energy techniques and segmental diagnosis for the thoracic and lumbar spine. Read more about the OMM course and next year’s program.

CHSU-COM Medical Student Amanda Helle Honored with ACOFP 2023 Emerging Leader Award

Amanda Helle, second-year medical student at the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM), was honored with the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) 2023 Emerging Leader Award. Presented by The Auxiliary to the ACOFP, this esteemed recognition is awarded annually to outstanding emerging osteopathic student leaders in the field of osteopathic family medicine and ACOFP. Helle was one of only three students in the country to receive this honor in 2023. Read more about the Helle’s award.

Noorda-COM Students Tee Off to Fundraise for Local Health Outreach Program

Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM) students tee’d off the morning at the Provo Advantage Pro-Am to support Kaufusi’s Keikis! This health outreach program, started by Noorda-COM, will provide elementary-aged children in Provo, Utah, with the opportunity to receive free annual opt-in health screenings. When fully implemented this health outreach program will benefit the children of Provo and will be especially beneficial for low-income and under-resourced communities. View more photos from the event on Noorda-COM’s Instagram.

PCOM Researchers Urge Collaboration in Understanding How Infections Drive Alzheimer's

Brian Balin, PhD, director of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)'s Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging, and fellow researchers are investigating how infections contribute to Alzheimer's disease. The group is calling for a consensus on how scientists identify and evaluate how infections contribute to or cause cognitive impairment and dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Writing in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the researchers aim to raise awareness “that microbial infection is a known cause of some types of dementia and to evaluate the hurdles to be overcome in the development of rapid and accurate” diagnostics to assess infections in people who have, or are at risk of developing, Alzheimer’s. Read more about the study and the future of PCOM Alzheimer’s research.

VCOM-Virginia Students Celebrate Completing Their COMSAE 

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia)’s Class of 2025 took a big step as they completed their Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Self-Assessment Examination (COMSAE). Passing this exam is a requirement to move on to their first set of Boards. VCOM-Virginia celebrated with a finish-line themed party complete with class superlatives. View more photos from the celebration on VCOM-Virginia’s Facebook.

VCOM-Auburn Celebrates Sports Medicine Fellows  

The partnership between Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn) and the University of Auburn is one reason why the VCOM-Auburn sports medicine fellowship program is so highly regarded. On June 13, 2023, VCOM-Auburn celebrated and said goodbye to this year's fellows: Zachary Brownlee, DO, who graduated from VCOM-Carolinas in 2019, and Tyler Watson, DO, who graduated from VCOM-Virginia in 2019. Dr. Brownlee is heading to the Medical University of South Carolina and The Citadel to work as a team physician and support student health. Dr. Watson will go to the Indiana Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania to work with their family medicine residents, and he will be the team physician for Indiana University of Pennsylvania. View photos from the farewell celebration on VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.

AZCOM Students Inspire the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals with Hands-On Ultrasound Workshop

On June 14, 2023, a group of Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) students volunteered to instruct 43 eager high school students on how to use an ultrasound machine to find the valves on a heart. These visiting students are getting a head start in their college careers by participating in Med-Start, a six-week summer program through the University of Arizona that exposes students to the possibilities of a career in healthcare. Read more about the ultrasound workshop activities.